1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for sliding on snow, especially a carving ski, having a base running face, which extends over a front, a central and a rear zone and which is waisted in the longitudinal direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such devices for sliding on snow are known, for example, from alpine skiing. So-called carving skis, which are characterised by a linear arrangement having a pronounced waist in the longitudinal direction, have in the meantime become successful in such skiing. The advantage of the waisted ski is that, when the ski is set on edge, a curve is described along an active radius defined by the waist. The more waisted a ski is, theoretically the tighter the curve that can be travelled. Skis having a more pronounced waist are therefore very manoeuvrable but have a tendency, when travelling in a straight line, to become very unsteady and unstable. Conversely, a ski that is not very waisted is directionally stable when travelling in a straight line but is distinctly less manoeuvrable, and consequently more difficult to control, when travelling in a curve.
Although the conventional ski, especially the carving ski, has revolutionised travelling in curves in alpine skiing as a result of its waist, it harbours the disadvantage that the variation of curves of different radii is possible only for experienced skiers. Especially in the case of skis having a pronounced waist, even slight edging of the ski causes initiation of a curve. With inexperienced skiers, it is precisely that abrupt change in direction which more frequently leads to falls with consequences that are not less than serious.
A number of publications that seek to solve the problems mentioned above are known from the state of the art.
German Gebrauchsmuster DE 296 05 583 U1, for example, describes a so-called multi-edge ski. This is characterised in that its sliding face is composed of one or more steps, wherein a steel edge can be attached at each transition between steps. The greatest advantage of that multi-edge ski is that a multiple metal-edge length can be integrated with the length of the ski remaining the same. It is in addition also possible, however, to achieve improved manoeuvrability and ability to stay on course by means of varied waisting of the individual steps of the ski. DE '583 thus describes, for example, waisting the lowest step to a small extent, since in that way it generates good and directionally stable straight-line travel, and then making the upper steps increasingly waisted, since they achieve more contact with the snow during edging and thus, in view of their waisted form, provide better manoeuvrability of the ski. A disadvantage of such as arrangement is that differing edges with differing waists extend over the whole length of the ski. This results in the weight being high, in increased resistance when travelling in a straight line as well as when travelling in a curve and, especially in the case of a two-step construction of the ski, again leads to the problem of the abrupt change of direction. Since, depending on the edging, a different edge acts as a guide to the direction, there is no step-free intermediate region formed in that arrangement that allows a different travelling radius according to the edging.
German Offenlegungsschrift DE 101 07 905 A1 likewise describes a carving ski which, in order to solve the problems referred to above, is given a raised running face of which the outer edges run parallel to the middle of the longitudinal axis of the ski. This new, additional running face is somewhat narrower than the waist of the original running face. The ski described therein is therefore likewise of multi-step construction and accordingly has the same advantages already evident from DE '583. That disclosure naturally therefore also has the disadvantages indicated above.
The problem underlying the present invention is therefore further to develop a device for sliding on snow, especially a carving ski, in such a manner that, despite having good manoeuvrability, has straight-line travel that is simple to control even at high speeds. A further problem of the present invention is to develop a device for sliding on snow, especially a carving ski, in such a manner that it can execute curve radii that are changeable in a substantially step-free manner.